Bougainville to get PNG tertiary institutions

The president of Bougainville, John Momis, says a number of key tertiary institutions are to set up in the autonomous Papua New Guinea province.

Bougainville has no tertiary facilities, forcing students to travel to the mainland.

Mr Momis says agreements have been reached to set up local campuses of three key PNG universities in the province.

"We have taken steps now to bring the Divine Word University campus, to set up a campus in Bougainville, the University of Technology to set a campus in Bougainville and the University of Papua New Guinea. So that we can alleviate the problem that parents and students have of finding money for themselves to travel right across Papua New Guinea because of the lack of educational opportunities in Bougainville."

Bougainville President John Momis.

Dozens of young Bougainvilleans, many of them students, were on the Rabaul Queen which sank off Morobe 11 days ago - about 44 are believed to have drowned.